Thomas Henry Guy Cowen didn't expect to run away from his boarding school as a child and end up being kidnapped by a German spy known only as The Master. Operating a mud circus as a front for his war crimes, The Master is involved in a range of illegal activities stretching from England to South Africa. As Tommy transforms into a young adult his boyish innocence is in for a rude awakening. At first, the circus seems delightful, and Tommy believes all he has to do is work enough to pay The Master back for giving him food to eat and a place to sleep. As the strange wonders fade into monotony, Tommy only wants to get back to his family, who might not even know he's missing amidst a growing civil unrest. But the more days pass, the bigger Tommy's debt grows, until it seems impossible he'll ever pay it all back. What Tommy doesn't comprehend is that The Master is turning him into a spy and slowly stripping him of his identity. As he becomes a teenager, his adventures take him across multiple continents while he completes dangerous errands for The Master, conquering death-defying circus acts, high-speed desert chases, and even a hot air balloon mission. He still hopes somehow, some way, he might see his family again. First, he has to stay alive as an unwitting spy in a dangerous world on the brink of a World War. And learning who he can trust is the most difficult challenge of all.